In Memoriam

Bruce D. Scherling

Obituary

Published by the Yorktown (NY) Funeral Home

April 7, 2026

Bruce Scherling
1964 Yale graduation

Bruce David Scherling passed away on December 13, 2025, in Somers, New York, at age 84.

Born on December 9, 1941, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Bruce was raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by his parents, Sidney and Jeannette Scherling, alongside his two sisters, Beth Naftalin and Carol Goodale. He was a natural athlete and outdoorsman, captaining his high school ice hockey team and spending his youth summers canoeing the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota.

His academic journey took him to Yale University, where he cultivated a lifelong love of literature and philosophy, and then to the University of Chicago, where he received a law degree. During law school, en route to a summer role as a research assistant to a Stanford Law professor, he decided on a whim to stop in Aspen — and never finished the drive. Electing instead to spend the summer working as a bellhop and enjoying the grandeur of the Colorado mountains, he made a choice that fit a lifelong pattern: he never feared diverting from the well-traveled road, or the expectations placed upon him, to pursue his authentic self.

Bruce Scherling
in recent years

He would repeat this again in his 30s. After serving as Assistant Dean of Admissions at UConn Law and working as a corporate attorney in New York City, he took a detour to study acting and jazz dance. When he eventually refocused on the law, he did so as an entrepreneur, becoming a prominent United States Trustee handling major bankruptcies and ultimately founding his own law firm.

Despite the demands of a busy law practice, Bruce structured his days to ensure he was present for the precious day-to-day moments of fatherhood, which he referred to as “the best job in the world,” and he never missed an event or game. He became a community fixture, holding court at coffee and bagel shops in Scarsdale and later, in Somers, never hesitating to strike up a conversation with anyone he met. In his leisure time, tennis and other racquet sports were more than pastimes; they were ways for him to stay active, connect with friends, and enjoy spirited competition.

Guided by his Jewish faith, Bruce was, above all, a devoted family man. He cherished time spent with his beloved wife, Donna Scherling, and with his children. Alyson, along with her husband Jacob Organek, and Matthew brought Bruce immense pride and joy. His grandchildren — Rylan and Kensie Organek, and Lee and Jesse Scherling — were the light of his life.

A lifelong student of literature, Bruce found deep truth in the words of his favorite poet, John Keats: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.” Bruce gave generously of his time, his wisdom, and his heart. His legacy lives on in the many lives he touched and the values he passed forward.

And so it goes…